The Runner issue 4-1-2020

therunneronline.com California State University, Bakersfield

Vol. 45, No. 14

April 1, 2020

VOTE TODAY

Frankie De La Pena

Erick Mejia

Vanessa Chicaiza

Krystal Raynes

Myles Howard

Nadia Mendoza

Dubrea Sanders

Allie Page

Desiree Lorelli

Alexia Zuniga

Photo illustration by Sam Underwood/The Runner

ASI candidates split into shared platforms: Students turn to social media for campaigning

By Damian Lopez Podcast Editor

know, publicizing for themselves if they don’t really have strong social media presence. So, I really think there’s some students who are at a disadvantage,” said Aaron Wan, current president of ASI. According to the Pew Research Center, 76 percent of Americans age 18 to 24 say they use Instagram, which is the age range of most college students, so Instagram is where candidates are campaigning for the election.

“Surprisingly this year, the social media presence for the elections has never been better than I’ve seen…creating their own platforms, their teams, and really trying to reach out to students,” said Wan. Candidates formed three teams to run together for different positions: CSUB Directors Campaign, You Matter, and Rising

The primaries just ended, but it’s a year of elections, and at CSUB, the voting window for ASI elections is around the corner. ASI Executive Director, Ilaria Pesco, released the list of candidates along with their social media handles on March 23, which gave the 27 candidates a little over a week to campaign before the April 1 and 2 voting days.

Eight of the candidates are running unopposed. The other 19 candidates are campaigning for contested positions, which is a challenge during a pandemic where face-to-face interaction is restricted.

“Everything has to be online – through social media. So, it is a little bit more difficult. You

Rising Runners All members of Rising Runner are running for positions on the executive board. According to their Instagram account @csub_ rising, the group of candidates are “devoted to accountability, opportunities, and accessibility.”

Presidential candidate Vanessa Chicaiza is a senior majoring in public policy and administration who plans on entering the CSUB’s MPA program for fall 2020. Currently, Chicaiza serves as ASI’s Director of Transfer Students, and is a Maddy Institute legislative intern.

President, Vanessa Chicaiza Executive V.P., Stephanie Magana (Unopposed) V.P. of Campus Life, Nadia Mendoza (Unopposed)

V.P. Leg. Affairs, Krystal Raynes V.P. of University Affairs, Maria Espinoza You Matter The You Matter campaign team consists of candidates running for both executive and director positions. The campaign team did not have a social media platform, but individual candidates were promoting their campaign on their own accounts.

Dubrea Sanders of the You Matter campaign is a political science major who has served on the Student Union board of directors for the last two years, and also interned at the Panetta Institute for Public Policy.

President, Dubrea Sanders V.P. of Finance, Frankie De La Pena (Unopposed) V.P. Leg. Affairs, Erick Mejia

V.P. of University Affairs, Daniel Tapia Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Desiree Lorelli Director of Student Support, Caitlin Livingston CSUB Directors CSUB Directors campaign consists of candidates Anaiah Alfred, who is running for Director of Social Media and Marketing, and Citlalli Guadarrama who is running for Director of Diversity and Inclusion. Information about their campaign is available on their joint Instagram account @ csub_directors_campaign.

The positions of Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and Director of Social Media and Marketing are the two most sought-after positions.

[See ELECTIONS, Page 2]

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The Runner

April 1, 2020

How to end the coronavirus panic

By Amy Pachla Copy Chief As U.S. hospitals begin to see the surge of COVID-19 patients and the number of infected skyrockets worldwide, the need for the public to be informed about SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is more important than ever.

Given the nature of the situation, information is moving fast, often literally at the speed of light, as hospitals, doctors, and researchers share their real-time findings online around the world.

Globally, the number of confirmed infected is 885,924 with over 44,200 deaths as of April 1.

In the United States, there are 163,539 confirmed cases with 2,860 deaths as of March 31.

The virus has been confirmed in 190 of Earth’s 195 countries, all 50 of the United States and in all her territories and commonwealths.

In the state of California, there are 1,733 confirmed cases of COVID-19, 837 of which occurred in people between the ages of 18 and 49, with 27 deaths. On March 31, the Kern County Department of Public Health confirmed over 100 cases of COVID-19 in Kern County. So far, all of those patients are being treated.

Coronaviruses are nothing new to the human species. Some of what we brush off as common colds are the result of coronavirus infection.

Medical scientists first

Illustration by Sam Underwood/The Runner discovered the orthocoronavirinae family of viruses in the 1960s. The virus’ size, the largest of the known RNA viruses, makes it easy to see with proper magnification, and the virus’ name, corona, comes from the crown or halo-like appearance of the protein spikes that cover its surface.

As many as 80% of the people who will contract COVID-19 will have the symptoms of a mild cold, if they have any symptoms at all. This is not uncommon with coronaviruses, as humans have historically weathered them well.

The difference with this new coronavirus is its aggressive transmission rate.

A few minutes in close contact with an infected person, whether they are symptomatic or not, is often all it takes to spread the virus.

This is what makes the

virus so lethal. Any virus or bacteria that causes respiratory distress carries the risk of becoming deadly for those with weak or compromised respiratory systems.

With COVID-19 spreading so quickly from people who may have no symptoms at all, and with no available vaccine or cure, the sheer number of people who will have severe symptoms within such a short time frame will overload the health care system.

In the next few weeks, the U.S. could be seeing the kind of situation hospitals in Italy and Iran are experiencing, where doctors are being forced to ration resources, choosing who gets treatment and who must wait. Often, that wait is simply too long.

As schools, businesses, states, and countries close borders, minimize opera-

tions to the bare essentials, and convert from in-person to online and remote work, we seek as a whole to prevent a system overload.

Health care and health information providers all offer the same general rules for preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Wash your hands often, especially when returning to your home after being out. Avoid touching things in public, such as door handles and ATM keypads, with your bare hands.

Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes with unwashed hands. Clean the things in your environment that you touch regularly, such as your phone, your remote control, and your doorknobs. Avoid large gatherings and places that might attract a crowd, and maintain a six-foot buffer zone around yourself in public.

The washing of hands

and the maintaining of social distance is critical to stopping the spread of the virus. The virus’ size prevents it from remaining airborne for more than 30 minutes, and its spiky shape means it interacts with different surfaces differently, affecting how long it can remain alive on various surfaces.

The National Institutes of Health conducted research into how long SARSCoV-2 in particular can live on different surfaces.

The shortest duration, two hours, was recorded on contact with copper. The longest, three days, were on contact with plastic and stainless steel. On paper and cardboard, materials often found in food and product packaging, the virus can live about 24 hours.

Generally, the more porous a surface is, with the exception of copper metal, the more rapidly it debilitates the virus.

Researchers do not yet know what effect, if any, changes in environmental temperature might have on the virus.

What researchers do know, however, is that your best weapon against COVID-19 is soap.

This virus, as are all coronaviruses, is encased in a waxy coating, making it more than able to stand up against plain water.

Just as soap breaks up the grease on your dishes and the oils on your skin, it breaks up the coating of the coronavirus, dissolving it away and rendering the virus inert.

This process is not im-

mediate, however. It takes between 20 and 30 seconds of contact for the soap to get in there and rip the virus apart.

Sing the alphabet song as you lather to help make sure you’re using the soap for an effective amount of time, and make sure you cover all the surfaces of your hands, front and back, down to the wrist.

Lastly, remember that we are all in this together. The more we learn, the better equipped we become not only to defeat this virus, but to face those which will come in the future.

Sign up for the COVID-19 newsletter issued by the CDC for the latest information. Follow the social distancing guidelines put forth by the authorities.

Do not listen to or repeat the various rumors and conspiracy theories circulating about the virus.

Wash your hands.

If we as individuals act purposefully and mindfully now, we will see the other side of this together.

The information included here has come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC. gov), the World Health Organization (WHO.int), the National Institutes of Health (NIH.gov), the Kern County Department of Public Health (KernPublicHealth.com), the California Department of Public Health (CDPH. ca.gov) and Johns Hopkins University Medicine (HopkinsMedicine.org).

Cont’d: ASI elections taking place online [ELECTIONS contd. from page 1] Desiree Lorelli, the incumbent in the race for Director of Diversity and Inclusion, was voted in unopposed in February after the previous director vacated the seat.

Now Lorelli is running against not only Guadarrama, but also candidates Hudo Huizaibi and Alexia Zuniga.

Anaiah Alfred from CSUB Directors Campaign is running against Heidy Casillas and Alexia

Zuniga. All three are running independently and promoting their campaigns on their own social media platforms for the position of Director of Social Media and Marketing.

Other director positions in contention are Director of Arts and Humanities and Director of Social Sciences and Education, each having two candidates in the running.

For arts and humanities, Carlos Hernandez, communications major with an emphasis in journalism, is

running against digital media and studio art double major Alexandra, or Allie, Page.

The battle for Director of Social Sciences and Education is between criminal justice major Myles Howard and political science/pre-law major Geena Olague.

Those who are running unopposed may not experience as much difficulty campaigning as those running in contended positions. Skills in social media networking are

paramount in a time when face-to-face campaigning is restricted.

Madison Herron, a psychology major at CSUB, said she had no idea who the candidates were and would have to look them up.

“Sometimes it’s easier to make the right impression in person,” said Herron.

“Some people might be able to reach a wider variety of people on social media though.”

Candidates who are

running unopposed and independently are: Director of Outreach, Anthony Quintino Director of Athletics, Tiffany Iniguez Director of Budget Management, Kevin Izquierdo Director of Business and Public Administration, Serenity Sanchez Director of Natural Sciences, Mathematics, and Engineering, Parmbir Sidhu According to Executive Director Pesco, ballots

will go out via email on Wednesday, April 1 at 8 a.m. from the email address ipesco@csub.edu.

The ballots will have statements from the candidates, along with videos for voters to go through before they make a choice.

Polls for the election close on Thursday, April 2 at 11:59 p.m.

For more information, listen to The Runner on Air’s special ASI podcast, and look to The Runner Online for the latest updates on ASI elections.

The Runner

April 1, 2020

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Features

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The Runner

April 1, 2020

Students recommend shows to

binge during quarantine

By Estefany Henriquez Reporter

Illustrations by Lauren Hill/The Runner

It‘s not easy to be closed off from the rest of humanity at times like these. Social distancing is an important aspect in these times of uneasiness.

However, you are not alone. Many people are taking this situation and making the most of it. One way people are making it through is by turning

to streaming services to entertain themselves.

Jilda Torres, CSU Bakersfield biology major, said she has been watching the popular anime show, “Naruto.”

“It is funny and interesting to watch. It will keep you busy since it has many episodes,” said Torres.

“Naruto” can be found

available for streaming on Hulu.

Edith Juarez, CSUB communications major, has been watching the comedy show “New Girl,” featuring Zooey Deschanel, on Netflix.

According to Juarez, “New Girl” provides a funny distraction during the current COVID-19

pandemic.

Daniela Alamos, CSUB psychology major, has been watching the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

“This is my favorite show. It is my second time watching it and it doesn’t fail to surprise me how well it is put together. It is a good option to watch

in quarantine because it is a show that you won’t get tired of. It has everything: love, drama, horror, comedy, fantasy and more.

The production value is so good. The characters are well put together and very impressive,” said Alamos.

“Game of Thrones” has eight seasons with many episodes. If you have never

seen it, it will definitely fill your free time.

There are many other shows available during this time of staying home. The important part is to enjoy them either with your family or by yourself.

Remember to keep your distance, and please wash your hands.

By Francisco Ruiz Feature Writer

with your mental health,” CSUB criminal justice student Lisette Padilla said.

Padilla explains that being home all day during quarantine isn’t healthy because it starts to interfere with your mental state.

“Quarantine is driving me crazy. I work in a school district that just closed for the month, and with all online classes and no income, I am literally home all day. It’s causing me to be irritable and depressed.

I need something new,” CSUB biology student Ellie Núñez said.

“I have to force myself to go outside to get fresh air for a few minutes,” CSUN political science student Sara Cooper said.

“I’m really only at home or school normally, so it doesn’t feel too out of the ordinary. However, while I finish this week with a boatload of homework, the rest of my family is home not having to do homework, and it’s a little frustrating. My brother is on spring break so he’ll start his online classes for CSU Northridge on Monday, but my mom is a teacher

and is done with school for the rest of the year, so she’s doing things she’s been wanting to get done.

But give it some time, and in return I’ll have bad cabin fever and drive my family up a wall,” CSUB student Mikayla Willey said.

Willey is explaining that quarantine for her is like any other day, since she just goes to school and work.

Emma Gillian CSUB biochemistry student, explains that she understands the situation that is currently happening, but she doesn’t have no clue if she will pass her classes due to the circumstances that are happening around the world.

“I am kind of upset. All my labs are cancelled.

We have no idea if we are getting credit and I have some classes where I still don’t know what is going on. I understand why we need to be here; my family is immunocompromised.

I would have been here anyway. I am going to take this time to get in shape or do something to make the time go by,” Gillian said.

CSUB students react to California shelter-in-place As COVID-19 keeps spreading throughout the world, schools and jobs have been closing their doors. COVID-19 has greatly impacted the United States in the last few weeks, and everything has changed drastically.

With businesses ranging from gyms, to restaurants, retail shops, cinemas, and more closing, individuals are only going out for what is considered to be a necessity. This means most people are isolating at home all day.

Governor Gavin Newsom on March 19 put the entire state of California on lockdown with a call to “shelter-in-place,” leaving very few businesses open, such as pharmacies, stores, food banks, banks, and take-out and delivery restaurants.

The businesses that are currently open around town have temporary new store hours, leaving the entire city as a ghost town since everything closes now by 8 p.m.

“Super boring, no social life, which can interfere

Features

The Runner

April 1, 2020

Italian Sausage Pasta Tortilla Pizza

By Lauren Hill Features Editor

By Katrina Singleton News Editor

College is already expensive. Adding on the expense of eating, pockets can get a little tight.

All the ingredients for this dish can be found at your local Walmart, and any of the ingredients can regularly be found at the CSU Bakersfield Food Pantry.

I got these ingredients from Walmart and spent less than $25.

If you are looking for good meals on a budget, and a good meal for food prepping throughout the week, this is a good meal for you!

Yields: Approximately 8 servings Prep time: 5-10 minutes Cook time: 40 minutes Total time: Approximately 1 hour Katrina Singleton/The Runner The final presentation of the Italian Sausage Pasta dish. The ingredients come together to make a flavorful dish that can be reheated later.

Katrina Singleton/The Runner In the process of making the meat sauce, The tomatoes will release some of their juices as they simmer, complimenting the savory flavors of the sausage.

Ingredients: • 5 stalks of green onions • 1 package of Italian sausage links (mild heat) • 2 cans of diced tomatoes seasoned with oregano, basil and other Italian seasonings • 1 box of bowtie noodles Worcestershire sauce (optional)

Instructions: While heating up a large saucepan, remove the skin from the Italian sausage and put the links in the pan. As the sausage starts to turn brown, make sure to grind down the meat into small chunks similar to ground beef.

While the sausage is cooking, wash and dice the green onions. I prefer my green onions to be diced from the white end of the stalk, horizontally towards the end, but any way you decide works.

When the sausage is mostly browned, add the diced green onions into the saucepan.

Stir the green onion in the pan until you can notice it starting to soften. When the green onion has softened a little bit, add in the diced tomatoes.

This dish is not supposed to be saucy, but if you prefer a saucy dish, add a little bit of water to one of the tomato cans.

Add diced tomatoes and optional water to the saucepan, to break down the concentrate of the tomatoes. For taste, add a little bit of Worcestershire sauce to the saucepan and stir. Turn the heat to low and let it simmer.

Fill a pot with warm water and bring it to a boil. I add salt to the water to help speed up the boiling process.

Once the water is boiling, add in the bowtie noodles. Let them cook for about five minutes before testing to see if they are ready. Noodles are fully cooked when they are soft. I normally taste one to determine if the softness is to my liking.

When the noodles are cooked, drain them and allow them to cool slightly.

When the noodles are drained and cooled, put them back in the pot, then add the sauce.

Mix together.

This meal is best paired with garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Picture this: It’s a Saturday, you’re at home on lockdown, you’ve already made all ten of your go to meals this week, you’re dreading going to the grocery store, and the food you have at home is limited.

This is the recipe for you!

Tortilla pizzas are one of my go-to dishes when I want to satisfy a craving, but don’t want to completely indulge. It’s healthy and colorful and so delicious!

Prep/Cook time: 25-30 minutes Ingredients: Tortilla - Any tortilla works. For this specific pizza I used a flour tortilla, but an Ezekiel tortilla or brown rice tortilla from Trader Joe’s also taste great.

Vegetables - This part is fun because there are so many options! I used spinach, yellow and orange sweet peppers, and grape tomatoes.

Meat (Optional) - I used andoullie chicken sausage, which can be bought at most grocery stores. Choose no meat for vegan/vegetarian tortilla pizza.

Cheese (Optional) - Cheese is not necessary if you want your pizza vegan, but I used just a small handful of shredded mozzarella. There are also a ton of great vegan cheese alternatives.

Instructions: This recipe is super easy, so I just “eyeball” how much I use.

Start with setting your oven to 425 F. By the time your pizza is ready, your oven will be heated.

Coat your pan with olive oil. Trader Joe’s sells an olive oil spray that is perfect for this. I use it for everything.

Put your tortilla on the pan and assemble the pizza while it’s on there. This way you don’t have to move it with all the ingredients on it.

Spread marinara sauce or pizza sauce on the tortilla to start, then put down a base of spinach. Once all of the other ingredients are on top the spinach cooks down right onto the tortilla.

Lay out your vegetables over the spinach.

Then spread out your meat over the vegetables and put a small handful of cheese on top to stick everything down.

Put in your preheated oven for 15 minutes. At seven and a half minutes, take out your pan and rotate the pizza 180 degrees, then put it back into the oven. This way, the whole pizza is getting cooked evenly.

Once the pizza is done cooking, you’ll have a beautiful crispy tortilla pizza. This is super easy and makes cooking fun.

Happy cooking, and make sure you wash your hands!

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Opinions

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The Runner

April 1, 2020

The Runner Staff Volume 45, Issue 12

The Runner California State University, Bakersfield 9001 Stockdale Hwy. Bakersfield, CA 93311-1099 661-654-2165 runner@csub.edu ADVISER Jennifer Burger jburger1@csub.edu EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sam Underwood sunderwood6@csub.edu MANAGING EDITOR DIGITAL Carlos Hernandez chernandez16@csub.edu PHOTO EDITOR Mari Woodmansee mwoodmansee@csub.edu PODCAST EDITOR Damian Lopez dlopez@csub.edu ASST PODCAST EDITOR Briana Lopez blopez51@csub.edu SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER Allea Nalaine Paguia apaguia@csub.edu NEWS EDITOR Katrina Singleton ksingleton@csub.edu ASST NEWS EDITOR Paige Atkison patkison@csub.edu FEATURES EDITOR Lauren Hill lhill17@csub.edu OPINIONS EDITOR Destinee Sims dsims7@csub.edu CO-SPORTS EDITOR Elisa Fuentes efuentes18@csub.edu CO-SPORTS EDITOR Chris Burdick cburdick@csub.edu COPY CHIEF Amy Pachla apachla@csub.edu MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Ace Harrison aharrison5@csub.edu COPYRIGHT Copyright belongs to the Communications Department at California State University, Bakersfield.

BUSINESS MANAGER

RUNNER ON THE STREET Social Media Edition

Sidney Wicks swicks1@csub.edu MARKETING MANAGER Edgar Noriega enoriega-banos@csub.edu DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Kimberly Benitez-Anguiano kbenites@csub.edu STAFF Marci Ruiz, Adriana Hernandez, Megan Tishman, Gabriela Reyes, Rachel Russ, Yoana Andrade, Francisco Ruiz, Estafany Henriquez, Braden Moss-Ennis, Erin Dailey, Chase Anderson, Angela Jordan, Brian Melgar, Pearl Hernandez, Carla Alvarado, Dalton Bell, Eli Miranda, Clarissa Alderete, Chasadee Sims, Caleb Melson, Joe Youngblood, Jenn Pardinas, Rosie Callejas, Gabriella Lopez, Faith Okoli, Briana G. Hendrix.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to runner@ csub.edu All letters must be signed, verified, and be no more than 300 words in length. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.

OUR MISSION The Runner is an independent student news organization, operated under the communication department at CSUB. The Runner is committed to exposing truth and promoting accountability while upholding professional journalistic integrity. We engage with the community through print, digital and social media publications as the premier news outlet for the student body.

DISCLAIMERS Views and opinions expressed in The Runner are not necessarily those of the editors, staff or the Communications Department.

The staff of The Runner reserve the right to refuse or omit any advertising or material which advocates illegal activity, or which may be considered libelous, irresponsible or tasteless.

For exclusive online-only content, please visit therunneronline.com.

By Destinee Sims

“What has been the most difficult adjustment since the coronavirus pandemic began?”

Dusty Rose Forty Junior, Art and Psychology

“Trying to stay motivated to do school work. Since it’s online, I foget I even have it.”

Caro Barboza Class of 2018, Public Poloicy and Administration

“Trying to explain to my preschooler why she’ can’t visit grandma and why she can’t go to school.”

Eileen Díaz Senior, History

“Shopping. I do not want to leave my house. I opt for Target’s Driveup or Walmart’s Pickup.”

Musicians stream free live concerts to relieve the quarantine blues Braden Moss-Ennis Opinions Columnist As many individuals across the globe are being ordered by their governments to stay at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, people are searching for ways to keep themselves entertained and engaged with others.

Musicians have offered this opportunity by livestreaming themselves performing free online concerts.

While online concerts are lacking in social contact, there is still a sense of community, with hundreds or thousands of people watching a video at once and communicating through the live chats.

Online concerts give people an opportunity to still feel like they are a part of something, even though they are stuck at home.

Global Citizen has been one source for online concerts, broadcasting a series of concerts as a show on Instagram Live called “Together at Home.”

“Celebrities around the world are taking a stand to support efforts to fight threats to global heath. In times of crisis, artists can use their platforms to mobilize the public and help unite the world,” Global Citizen notes.

Artists who have already played shows on the platform include Common, Niall Horan, Charlie Puth, and a joint show with Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello.

Some artists are simply putting on live concerts on their own.

Indie bands Death

Photo courtesy of NPR

Ziggy Marley is one of many musicians offering free digital content during the quarantine.

Cab for Cutie and The Postal Service’s singer, Ben Gibbard, have been livestreaming every day for the past week, and intend to do so for the next few weeks, a Death Cab for Cutie tweet said. They noted that Gibbard will be taking requests, and is also accepting donations for various charities each day.

On March 23 at 4 p.m.

PST, country singers Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood plan to livestream a concert of their own. They are also taking requests from fans.

“Let’s let music connect us during this disconnected time,” Brooks wrote on Twitter.

For individuals who cannot attend the livestreams on time and still want to see the show, most livestreams are recorded and can be re-watched at later times.

However, Garth Brooks’ team advise that his concert will not be recorded for posting after the livestream has ended.

Some people may not

get the appeal of watching a livestreamed show, as watching a show through a screen compared to watching it in person is a different experience. Not to mention that with YouTube, people can easily find almost any concert or live performance they desire to watch at any time.

However, online concerts aren’t the only source of musical entertainment available during these times, as many artists are still releasing new music.

There were some recent releases by popular artists to which music lovers can give a listen.

On March 20, R&B and pop artist The Weeknd released his fourth studio album titled “After Hours.”

The album surpassed 100 million streams on its first day, and is expected to move 400,000 units of the album equivalent (sales) in the first week of its release.

On March 22, hip-hop and pop artist Childish Gambino released “3.15.20” on streaming services. This is his fourth

studio release, and the album is unique in the fact that it available a week earlier than scheduled in a surprise drop on the website DonaldGloverPresents. com in one continuous, looping stream.

On April 3, pop artist Dua Lipa is set to release her second studio album called “Future Nostalgia.” The album’s lead single “Don’t Start Now” was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America for selling 500,000 units.

Regardless of what genre of music you enjoy or how you enjoy listening to music, there are still plenty of music-listening options out there during the quarantine.

The time we have at home should encourage us to potentially get out of our comfort zone and try out new things we wouldn’t otherwise spend our time on, like listening to a new music artist or watching a livestreamed concert.

Opinions The Runner

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March 18, 2020

Photo illustration by Destinee Sims/The Runner

Streaming platforms: Comparing the options Rosie Callejas Opinions Columnist

With so many different streaming services on the market, it is easy to get overwhelmed by choosing a specific platform and difficult to finalize which one suits best.

Disney+ The newest streaming platform to hit the market and has acquired a big fanbase, primarily because most of Disney’s movie collection is on here, including the new Star Wars show “The Mandalorian.”

“Disney+ has been the best platform for me; it has content for my sister’s kids that I’m currently taking care of,” Kara Velasco, a junior psychology major, wrote.

She pointed out that they have a great bundle with Hulu and ESPN, bringing the total cost for all three services to $12.99. That’s three streaming platforms for just under $13 versus the $17.97 you would be paying if you subscribed to each platform individually.

If you’re only interested in Disney-produced movies, you can stream their service for $6.99 a month ad free, or you can check out their bundle for only $12.99. The only downside is that the Hulu shows in the bundle come with commercials, and there is no way to upgrade for their service without ads. To sign up for this bundle, go to Disneyplus. com and create an account. From there you can select the streaming plan that is best for you.

Netflix Judith Carrillo, a senior history major, mentioned that she enjoys Netflix and Disney+ as her choice of streaming platforms because “they have the most content and no commercials.”

Netflix costs $8.99

monthly, and $6.99 for Disney+. Unfortunately, Netflix does not have a partnership with any other streaming service, so there is no bundle option available for this platform. If you are interested in both Netflix and Hulu, your monthly total would be $15.98 for both platforms.

Hulu “[Hulu] has a bundle for students where you don’t have to pay much for it, and you get Spotify Premium,” Monica Villa, a junior psychology major, explained.

The bundle Villa refers to is available only for students, and it is $4.99 a month. This includes Hulu with ads, Spotify Premium for music, and Showtime.

If you are primarily interested in only Hulu related shows, you can get their service for as low as $5.99 with ads. If you don’t mind ads and you’re currently a student, you might as well sign up for their student plan, which is a dollar less each month and comes with two bonus platforms. If you would like to watch Hulu commercial-free, it will be $11.99 a month.

To sign up for a Hulu account, simply go to Hulu.com. On their page you will be able to select between the plan with ads, without ads, and the bundle services. To get the special student discount service plan, you will need to first make an account at Spotify.com.

Prime Video Another streaming platform to consider is Amazon Prime. Amazon provides a service that comes with music, movies, tv shows, books and 2-day shipping for only $11.99 a month. If you are a student, this price is brought down to $6.49 monthly. You get a number of different services

for a very low price with Amazon. They recently also uploaded many new movies like “Little Women” due to theatres being shut down during this pandemic. To sign up for an Amazon Prime account, go to Amazon. com.

Alternative Platforms There are also alternative platforms like Crunchyroll and Funimation that specialize in anime shows and movies.

Crunchyroll is available for no cost at all, although the shows you can watch are limited and come with ads. You can upgrade your account for only $7.99 a month and this gives you access to their whole library completely ad free. To subscribe to their plan, you can go to crunchyroll.com.

Funimation is another popular anime-based streaming platform.

They have three tiers of streaming plans including premium, premium plus, and premium plus ultra. Premium is $5.99 a month completely ad free and has a feature that allows two people to be using the account at the same time. Premium plus is $7.99 monthly with a five simultaneous stream feature, and comes with a download feature that allows you to watch shows on the go. The premium plus ultra plan is $99.99 annually, which ends up totaling about $8.33 a month, but comes with all the perks of the lower two tiers as well as additional gifts and member exclusive events. To sign up for a Funimation account, head over to Funimation. com Each platform has its pros and cons. Ultimately, the possibilities are endless and any platform you choose to delve into will be a good choice. Happy watching!

Sports

8

April 1, 2020

The Runner

NCAA agrees to eligibility relief plan for spring athletes

By Chris Burdick Sports Co-Editor In light of many major college conferences, including the Western Athletic Conference, cancelling all sports for the foreseeable future, the NCAA has stepped up to do their part for the student athletes who have lost the chance to play this season.

The NCAA Division I Council met today in order to discuss and vote on some sort of relief plan to soothe the worries of colleges and athletes across the country who have lost this season to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Earlier in the month, it was agreed by the council that some sort of relief was necessary, and it wasn’t long before the council agreed on the terms of how to go about this decision.

Per NCAA rules, athletes are only allowed a total four seasons of competition during a five-year period, but this decisiwill allow for some leeway in that regard. According to the NCAA media release on Monday, this plan allows schools to self-apply for special circumstance waivers that would restore one of those seasons of competition to players who competed during this shortened spring season.

Financial aid rules were also adjusted by the Council so teams could carry more members on scholarship in order to accommodate those seniors who do decide to stay. Schools are provided more flexibility in term of awarding scholarship money to those seniors who have exhausted eligibility, and will be allowed to use the NCAA’s Student Assistance Fund to pay for scholarships if needed.

This decision by the NCAA Council will allow schools to effectively apply for a one-year extension of eligibility for all spring Photo contributed by CSUB Athletics sport athletes and allow CSUB baseball team celebrates walk-off victory against Washington State Cougars on Feb. 15 those athletes who have at Hardt Field. reached the end of their also stated that in order to seniors to be exempt from five-year limit, specificalcontinue her eligibility, she the teams 35-player roster ly seniors, to come back Overall, the NCAA’s plans to move on to her limit. next year and play if they decision has sparked hope master’s degree and is exSenior pitcher Noah choose to. The ruling is in the student athletes who putting ease into the minds cited for the opportunity to Cordova of the Roadrunfelt they had their final follow the Roadrunners to ners baseball team is one of CSUB senior athletes season stolen by this virus the Big West Conference. of many seniors excited to who lost their final season outbreak - hope that they The NCAA plan also return next season. “I think can and will continue their to this shutdown. allows some added relief it’s good because guys “I’m really excited college careers and finish to college baseball teams who thought they would because I felt like this those careers the way they in terms of roster space. never play again are able year I was making a lot had intended.

Unlike the rest of spring to come back and play of progress to where I “I think it’s great. I think sports, college baseball another year.” Cordova wanted to end, and I sadly it’s a positive move for sturosters are not set based on also said that he is excited had that chance was taken dent athletes, which should the number of scholarships to welcome in the new away from me due to the always be the focus,” coronavirus,” CSUB senior given, but rather has a hard recruits as well, and that CSUB Director of Athletroster cap of 35 players the opportunity to make Macey Mills of the womics Dr. Kenneth ‘Ziggy’ per team. The NCAA has the roster larger means that Siegfried said about the en’s golf team said after addressed the issue of pos- the team will be bringing hearing she will be given NCAA’s decision. “The a “bigger group of guys the opportunity to continue sibly compacted teams by NCAA has responded in allowing those returning together.” her college career. Mills the right way. They’ve

done it quickly to make sure there is no doubt lingering out there and that student athletes can make their decision based off of this passing.”

Unfortunately, this deal will not carry over to winter sports like basketball, who lost their entire post season to this pandemic.

According to the NCAA media release, “Council members declined to extend eligibility for student-athletes in sports where all or much of their regular seasons were completed.” But the decision is still welcomed in the Roadrunners eyes as they continue to look forward to new horizons in the Big West Conference next season.

“I’m excited for our student athletes,” Siegfried said. “Still heartbroken that they are having to deal with this, but I’m glad that they will have more opportunities to make more memories.”

Now the decision lies in the hands of CSUB senior athletes. Will they utilize these new waivers and return next season for their final year of college eligibility, or have they planned to move on with their lives? Either way, it’s nice knowing that there is some light in this unfortunate time for spring athletes.

The Runner Spotlight: Jazleigh Ortiz

By Elisa Fuentes Sports Co-Editor

This edition of the Runner Spotlight is on CSU Bakersfield’s senior indoor and beach volleyball player Jazleigh Ortiz, who was born and raised in Imperial, CA, a small town near San Diego.

Ortiz started playing volleyball when she was three and a half years old, and

she has not stopped playing since then. Her father had been a baseball coach and her mother has been a softball and volleyball coach. They both became her role models in all sports, influencing her at a young age to be active in soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, and volleyball.

When Ortiz was attending Imperial High School, she focused on basketball, soft-

Photo contributed by: Jazleigh Ortiz

CSUB senior Jazleigh Ortiz hits the ball overhead during beach volleyball practice.

ball, and volleyball. She was recruited throughout high school and believed that when she went to college, she would be playing softball, but was offered a double scholarship in both softball and volleyball at La Sierra University. She found herself going down the path of volleyball and resided there once she went on to Mira Costa College, where she picked up beach volleyball, and then to CSUB. “For volleyball, it was kinda just a sport I was just good at naturally. I never really thought I was gonna play collegiately. It just happened,” Ortiz said.

While sports are her love, Ortiz found another passion in dentistry, and aspires to become an orthodontist. Her fascination for teeth developed when she was in third grade and accompanied her brother to his dentist appointment.

The dentist had x-rays done on her teeth for fun

and discovered that she had mesiodens, a rare occurrence of an extra tooth. After going through oral procedures, she was inspired to do the same and give children the smile they have always wanted.

“Ever since the third grade, I don’t know how old that makes me, but it’s never changed forever and ever. I’m 21 and I still wanna do it.”

Until Ortiz graduates Photo contributed by Jazleigh Ortiz and takes the next step in CSUB senior Jazleigh Ortiz goes for a spike during practice. her path to dental school, she imagined she would cause the rain was going stay healthy, stay fit, and always be playing a sport, straight into our eyes. It stay active as much as she but that was before the was such a memorable can. From running around suspension of spring moment; I think that’s one her hometown and lifting season and beach volleygame that will probably be weights, to playing catch ball ending short. With the in my memory for a very with her dad and picking memory of the Big West/ long time, because of how up a ball, she is doing just West Coast Challenge still fun it was and such a great that. She is also watching fresh in her mind, Ortiz environment.” tape on other volleyball says that their only win the Despite the cancellation players in order to find meet was one that she will of the season, Ortiz is ways to improve her skills not soon forget. still looking forward to and be ready for when the “My partner and I ended the fall season next year team will finally hit the up beating them in the when volleyball starts in court again once this hiatus pouring rain, and I couldn’t the Big West Conference. is over. even open my eyes beHer focus until then is to